Better Together #3

There comes a time when a single dramatic event causes us to assess how we will respond in certain situations.  There is usually an initial reaction.  It happens almost instinctively, but it is not always the right one.  Upon reflection, we realize we must improve how we think and act.  This makes the connections between family, friends, colleagues, and even strangers stronger.

Less than one year ago, we met an abundantly positive petite personality in an uplifting take on a classic tale.  Chicken Little The Real And Totally True Tale (Scholastic Press, May 5, 2020) written and illustrated by Sam Wedelich through wit allowed us to see the wisdom in collecting information before making a decision.  This fact-loving fowl is back in Chicken Little and The Big Bad Wolf (Scholastic Press, March 2, 2021) written and illustrated by Sam Wedelich. How big and how bad is this legendary wolf?

I am so

NOT

scared

of any

wolf! 

As Chicken Little boldly proclaims her lack of fear repeatedly, she is oblivious to the approaching figure.  There is a colossal collision.  When a dismayed voice asks if Chicken Little is alright, she looks up, screams, and skedaddles without hesitation.

As she tries to process what she has seen, there is only one logical choice.  It is the Big Bad Wolf!  An older chicken raises the alarm.  Chicken Little tries to run after her, but she is, after all, little.

Back in the barnyard, the chickens can't agree on a plan, but ultimately select an unwise alternative.  Fortunately for the flock, Chicken Little arrives with her voice of reason.  She gathers clues.  These don't satisfy her.

Hesitantly, she approaches the BBW.  The ensuing conversation has the residents of the coop rolling their respective eyes in disbelief.  And yet . . . Chicken Little speaks truths one cannot ignore.  Let's eat!

Each sentence Chicken Little utters in the beginning sets readers up for the BIG crashing comedic reveal.  This is a gift author Sam Wedelich gives to us.  The humor continues as Chicken Little ponders this unexpected situation.  Readers will delight in the word play, the use of re-worded iconic phrases, the fear factor trigger, and phrases with double meanings.  Told in dialogue, first person and other characters, and a bit of narrative, Chicken Little at the end brings us back to her first words.  Here is a passage.

WOLF?! YOU

CAN'T TRUST A WOLF!

HE'S PULLING THE FEATHERS

OVER YOUR EYES!

YEAH!

HE'S THE

BIG 

BAD

WOLF!

Hmm . . .

I see what

you mean.

In looking at the front and back of the book case, we immediately notice hilarity is a huge part of this story.  Look at the shadow of the wolf on the front.  It is a clear contrast to the words Chicken Little is saying.  On the back are four questions begging to be answered.  The first one has multiple-choice replies.  Chicken Little, wing on her hip, warns readers to not check the third box.  This is an irresistible invitation to start reading the story.  There is a little bit of text about Sam Wedelich, similar to what you might read on the back flap of a dust jacket.  Chicken Little on the front and back and the title text are varnished.

On the opening and closing endpapers is a pattern in two shades of red, pale and bright.  These are the identical hues shown on the book case.  Here Chicken Little is engaged in a variety of activities.  Cameras and photographs of The Big Bad Wolf are a part of the design.

On the title page, wings spread open to her sides, Chicken Little wearing her signature tiny red boots and large circular red glasses starts the story.  These illustrations on cream, matte-finished paper are rendered digitally with the type hand lettered by Sam Wedelich.  Dialogue appears in speech balloons, differently colored depending on the speaker.

Each portion of these images is defined by the heavy black lines around them.  Chicken Little is portrayed in a variety of sizes in partial-page pictures, full-page pictures or double-page pictures. Motion and emotion are conveyed with excellence, each assisted by perspective.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a single-page visual.  It features four of the coop chickens.  They are all wearing old-style flying helmets.  Three have on goggles.  These three are carrying suitcases. They are looking straight at readers.  This picture is after they have decided 

to fly the coop.

This bird is certainly the word.  Chicken Little and The Big Bad Wolf written and illustrated by Sam Wedelich allows us to examine ourselves in light of the situation in which Chicken Little and the coop characters find themselves.  Everyone wants to belong, accepted as they are and not as they are perceived.  I highly recommend this title for both your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Sam Wedelich and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Sam Wedelich has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  You can see loads of Sam Wedelich's art on her Instagram account.

In her poem, The Summer Day, Mary Oliver closes with a question:

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

Assuredly the responses to her question will vary with each reader, but it is a hope many will share identical replies.  After reading A New Day (Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, March 2, 2021) written by Brad Meltzer with illustrations by Dan Santat, this is guaranteed.  This story centers on how a grateful heart extended with kindness can be an agent for significant change.

Sunday quit.

Just like that.

She said she was tired of being a day.

Do you know how much

work it takes to give the

world a beautiful,

free day . . .

As Sunday speaks, the other days, understandably shocked, listen to her list the other things she wants to do.  Monday, ever practical, suggests they find a new day.  Posters are posted from one end of the earth to the other end.  The six remaining days, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday start interviews the next day.  It's safe to say, the witty commentary begins, also.

First up is FunDay followed by BunDay (hair).  Canines make an appearance, suggesting all the right reasons for DogDay.  Not to be excluded a group of cats offer conversation on the sidelines suggesting Caturday.  After getting some promising proposals, Friday and Saturday want more similar ideas.  And this is when the real trouble (comedy) commences.  The cats are still on the scene, ever hopeful.

The rivalry heightens.  Clever contenders disguise themselves and solicit partners, claiming teamwork.  There were crazy days like UnicornsWithHornsForHornsDay and ridiculous days like GelatinSuitsDay.  Of course, the dogs are vigilant making a third showing which has the cats in a furry.  When it seems as though the word sensible has vanished from everyone's vocabulary, Monday asks a question.

A small, quiet voice says two simple words.

I do.

As Monday continues the chat, she, the other days and readers are astonished by the child's other words.  The most surprised is Sunday.  All Sunday needs, all anyone needs, is exactly what this child is offering.  It is indeed A New Day.

Author Brad Meltzer through dialogue, narrative, and details supplies us with page-turning action.  We promptly step into this story and its fun.  We embrace that dialogue, text, and details creating the outlandish exaggerations found in the new day presentations.  But let's be clear, Sunday's claims are sincere and true.  When we compare her desires with those of the new day possibilities, amid our laughter, we feel Monday's frustrations.  This is why our souls soar along with Sunday's and the other six days at the end.  Brad Meltzer must have had loads of fun writing this story.  Here is a passage.

Oh, c'mon!

Those're the

same dogs as

before---

but with

mustaches!

This isn't fair.

When do we get to

pitch Caturday?

The cats were right about it being unfair.

But as word began to spread that teamwork was a good thing . . .  

The remarkable, signature artwork of Dan Santat is boldly presented on the matching and open dust jacket and book case.  On the front, right, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday each have defining characteristics and distinguishing colors.  In an ingenious design, the title text is placed in an outline of a possible new day personality.

On the back, left, is the WANTED A NEW DAY poster.  The description of the qualities needed are lengthy and explicit.  They describe what many experience on a Sunday.  You know something, the opposite of what is expected to happen, is in the offing when you read the final line on the poster.

SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY

On the opening and closing endpapers, Dan Santat introduces and finishes his pictorial interpretation of this story.  On the first set, the six perplexed days, looking worried and disgusted, stand on an enlarged calendar within some of the square lines.  On the second set, the six days, now overjoyed, have left the audition table.  They are hugging Sunday, have open arms, and all are smiling.

On a dramatic two-page picture for the title page are seven vertical panels.  Each one contains one of the days except for the first one.  There is a smudge where Sunday should be.  These illustrations prepared

with watercolor, color pencil, crayon, and digitally rendered in Adobe Photoshop

are highly animated.  Facial expressions, body postures and clothing are captivating.  Background colors showcase dialogue displayed in speech bubbles.  

Sometimes a single page will focus on one thing, bringing us close to that item or person. Other times a series of horizontal or vertical panels will present the new days.  At times we are looking at the six-day audition panel, other times we are behind them or even looking down on the action.  Every time you read this book; you'll notice a different brilliant detail.  You'll burst out laughing at the text and image following the dedication and publication page at the end.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for DogDay.  It is a two-page image.  All the days are merrily enjoying the dogs and puppies.  It's a day where everyone will get a dog or a puppy.  There are dogs present in all kinds of shapes and sizes.  Some of the days have left their chairs to get closer to the dogs and puppies.  One puppy has joined Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at the table.  Off to the right side, one dog is talking with a disgruntled cluster of cats. 

Brightly hued and lively images paired with light-hearted, inventive language beckon readers into the book, A New Day written by Brad Meltzer with illustrations by Dan Santat.  You'll carry this funny, lovable story in your heart, remembering how the right two words can be all we need.  I know you'll want a copy of this title for both your collections, personal and professional.

To learn more about Brad Meltzer and Dan Santat and their other work, access their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Brad Meltzer has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Dan Santat has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. At the publisher's website you can view the opening endpapers.  Here is a link to a clip on Good Morning America with Brad Meltzer speaking about this book. 

The two other blog posts in the Better Together series are here and here.

A Night Visitor

Day in and day out, week after week, month after month and year after year, the business of life can become a burden.  The stress of always having something to do and never getting everything done is difficult to bear.  You can't help but wonder what it would be like to be relieved of the have-to requirements.

To regain the ability to do as you choose is a tantalizing prospect.  Moon (Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 17, 2018) authorial debut of illustrator Alison Oliver explores the idea of rediscovering that which is lost.  We all have an essential part of us longing to be free.

Every day, Moon walked home
from school and thought about
the day.

Moon always had a to-do list and she always did everything on that list but she did think about not doing everything on that list.  There was a part of her that wanted to abandon those tasks.  There was a part of her wanting to run wild.  The problem was Moon didn't know how to run wild.

During the night Moon looked out her window as a shooting star arced across the darkened sky.  She left the comfort of her room to find more shooting stars.  To her surprise a mystery lay at her feet.  It was paw prints.  They belonged to a wolf!

The wolf invited Moon to climb on its back.  They swiftly moved through the night toward the Great Forest. There, in a clearing, was Wolf's pack.  Moon knew she had found those who could teach her to run wild.

With each instruction Moon felt herself changing.  As the final lesson is observed Moon knew peace.  She was one with Wolf, the forest creatures, the Great Forest and the night.  A howl, not from a wolf, broke the silence.  When Moon went to school the next day, her transformation was evident.  It was contagious.


Students (and adults as well) will be readily able to identify with Moon's thoughts as Alison Oliver begins this story.  Her short contemplative sentences and questions connect to us. When Moon encounters the paw prints, Alison heightens the suspense with three single words.  You can feel the tension mounting which makes the next two page turns even more exciting.  As Moon learns from the wolves, the single phrases allow readers to imagine they are participating with Moon in the Great Forest.  We are altered too.  Here is a passage.

The breeze blew through Moon's hair.
The chirping of the insects seemed to grow quiet.
The ocean of stars felt not so far away.


What readers notice first on the opened dust jacket is the color palette.  The swirl of nighttime blue, purple and black with the dusting of stars provides a tranquil background.  This background on the front crosses the spine to the back to complete the scene.  The text for the title is yet another shade of blue with the first letter o cleverly shown as a sliver of the moon.  The nighttime sky allows for the white and gray of Wolf, the white of Moon's attire and her purple skin to stand apart.  The title text, Moon and Wolf are varnished.

The book case is the same shade of purple as Moon's skin.  The texture is rough to the touch.  On the front a black outline of Moon kneeling next to Wolf and Wolf sitting next to Moon conveys their relationship.  Wolf is resting his chin on Moon's head.  The opening and closing endpapers are done in the same shade of blue (teal) as used for the title text.  Paw prints stretch along the bottom from one edge to the other.

On the initial title page, on a canvas of white, the word Moon is entwined in delicate leaves and tiny purple flowers.  The formal title page spans across two pages.  Moon is enlarged.  Along the bottom exquisite leaves and flowers provide a wide border.

Rendered in watercolor, brush pen, charcoal, and potato stamp, and assembled digitally the illustrations are a soothing blend of soft and bold.  Some of the pictures are placed on single pages others span two pages and smaller visuals are grouped together on a single page.  Alison Oliver alters her point of view to accentuate her text.  Moon's large eyes and other facial features as well as those on the wolves convey every mood. 

One of my many favorite pictures covers two pages.  The canvas is a mix of night sky, grass and flowers in the clearing.  A crescent moon hangs in the upper left-hand corner.  The four wolves in the pack in darker gray are placed toward the top of the two pages with the smallest wolf toward the edge of the right side in the middle.  Wolf is in the center of the left side.  Moon is toward the bottom in the center of the right side.  All of them have their faces raised and are howling.  You can't help but wish you were there with them.


This marvelous book is an invitation for us to look to nature to remember who we are and to realize the best life has to offer us.  Moon written and illustrated by Alison Oliver will have readers howling during and after story time.  I believe this would pair wonderfully with Matthew Cordell's Caldecott Medal title, Wolf In The Snow (Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan, January 3, 2017).  You will want to have a copy of Moon on both your professional and personal book shelves. 

To learn more about Alison Oliver and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  She maintains an account on Instagram.  The cover reveal for this book was hosted by author and teacher librarian Carter Higgins on her site, Design Of The Picture Book.  Alison wrote a post, Stay Wild, at the Nerdy Book Club.  Yesterday on Twitter using the hashtag #howtowolf @HMHKids announced they are giving away ten signed posters promoting Moon until May 1, 2018 for those in the United States only.

A Walk In A Wintry Wood

While the rest of the residents are close to ending their day or already sleeping, we take a final walk.  Our breath looks like puffs of smoke in the frigid air.  The snow-covered ground, bushes and trees help to blanket the night in silence.  Our senses soak in all this season of winter has to offer us.

As we move down the well-worn path, we pause wondering if there are others enjoying the majesty of this moment when the world is cloaked in contrasting black and white.  Bear and Wolf (Enchanted Lion Books, February 2018) written and illustrated by Daniel Salmieri brings readers into a winter's night in the woods.  Normally avoiding each other out of mutual respect and as competitors for food, two young animals meet.

It was a windless night and glowing snowflakes fell through the trees deep in the forest.

A bear is walking through the snow in this forest when something catches her attention.  At the same time a wolf strolling through the falling flakes in these woods notices something.  The young bear and the young wolf move closer, stop and stare.  Their noses inhale the scent of each other.

As they converse it becomes apparent neither is lost but they are out to take pleasure in their surroundings.  Deciding to walk together they move in silence.  They are keenly aware of all the night and the season has to reveal.  At one point they pause.  No two snowflakes are alike.

A night bird soars above the quiet companions.  She sees two shapes wandering through the snow.  Resting on a branch she sees it's a bear and a wolf . . . together.  Bear and Wolf move past Bird without a sound.

The duo comes to a large clear area, a lake frozen by the seasonal temperatures.  When Bear moves some snow aside, they can see snoozing fish drifting.  All too soon Bear says she has to return to her den to sleep with her family.  Wolf says he has to go to hunt with his pack.  This is a winter walk both will remember.  Time moves into spring with wishes uttered on a winter walk coming true.


As soon as we read the first sentence written by Daniel Salmieri we are there in the snowy forest with Bear. His word choices create a sensory scene in our minds.  The use of repetition in portions of the narrative forms a pleasing pacing and a soothing storytelling rhythm.  Here is a passage.

Bear and Wolf walked through the quietly falling snow,
using their eyes, and ears, and noses to take in the snowy woods.
They both had thick, warm fur that covered their whole bodies.
They were creatures made to be comfortable in the very cold.


One of the initial things you notice upon opening the matching dust jacket and book case is the texture of both.  The dust jacket is of sturdy stock.  When you remove the dust jacket you can see the interior is colored in black and white.  Is it a star-studded sky or snow falling in a darkened forest?  It's full of magical possibilities.  The symmetry of Bear's and Wolf's heads on the front conveys the connection of the two during this shared experience.  The book case has the feel of fabric.

To the left, on the back, is a snowy landscape with two sets of footprints side-by-side extending from the bottom toward the top.  On the opening endpapers on a charcoal gray background are large splotches of white, pale blue, and pale purple.  It's as if we've moved close to the falling snow.  Fields of grass waving in a breeze cover the closing endpapers.

The title page is black with the text in white.  A page turn takes us into the forest with three trees bare of leaves stretching upward and their trunks placed from left to right, the second in the gutter.  Between the arch of the second and third trees is the dedication.

All of the illustrations span two pages.  Each atmospheric setting brings us further into the story.  In the first image we are experiencing it from Bear's perspective.  In the next, we are one with Wolf.  In the third we are observers.  This point of view shifts throughout the story.  It brings us close to the characters or gives us a panoramic spread.  Two of the pictures are wordless but speak volumes.

The technique employed by Daniel Salmieri is textured and soft.  His lines and layers appeal to our senses.  Many of the pictures ask us to pause and enjoy the moment with the characters.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when Bear and Wolf agree to continue their walk together.  The partial trunks of two trees frame the left and right of the picture.  A third tree truck extends from the left through the gutter to the right.  More of the trunk is on the right.  In the space between those trunks are smaller trees, falling snow and a landscape shaded in blues and purples.  In the first one on the left Wolf and Bear are walking away from us into the forest.


If you seek a deep sense of calm and the wonder and surprises nature can offer, Bear and Wolf, the debut title written and illustrated by Daniel Salmieri, is a perfect book for you.  It will be a much requested read aloud whether one-on-one or with a group.  It is an excellent selection for wolf or bear themes, nature and seasonal appreciation or seeking peace and quiet.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Daniel Salmieri and his other work, please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  Daniel maintains an account on Instagram. On Mackin Books In Bloom Daniel has written a guest post.  UPDATE:  Teacher librarian Travis Jonker premieres the book trailer on his blog, 100 Scope Notes, December 3, 2018.

Lost And Found, It Goes Around

There will be times, more often than not, when in a given situation individuals will be expected to act in a specific manner.  Action may be taken as expected but sometimes the best choice, the right choice, is unforeseen.  It is surprising to all those involved.

Even in the world of animals there are cases of unlikely alliances, some lasting a lifetime.  Pup and Bear (Schwartz & Wade Books, October 3, 2017) written by Kate Banks with illustrations by Naoko Stoop is a tender story of maternal instincts determining choice.  In the harsh world of the Arctic it can be the difference between life and death.

WHOOSH!
When the great gray owl swooped down,
screeching whoo-whoo,
the Arctic wolves knew that the Big Freeze
was on its way.

Shelter was sought in order to survive the bitter cold, raging winds and snowy drifts.  With the passage of time, the beginning of a new season caused the ice to melt and break apart.  A wolf pup was adrift on a piece of ice, separated from the pack.

After sliding into the water, swimming and swimming, he reached land, exhausted.  Curled up in a ball, he slept.  He was awakened by a polar bear.  She was not the mother he wanted but the polar bear told him to have faith, taking him to her den.  Her promise of food and warmth assured him.

For them it was not all food gathering and snuggling in the den but play and discipline too.  The pup grew into an adult, no longer needing the polar bear.  Another winter came in the Arctic wilderness.  The wolf had his own pack now, no longer alone.  One bitter day this wolf discovered a polar bear cub, alone without a mother.

This was not the mother the polar bear cub wanted but the wolf told the baby to have faith.  Once again a promise of food and warmth was given.  A life for a life . . . was repaid.


As you read the words penned by Kate Banks you become deeply attached to the events unfolding in this story.  The severe climate in the Arctic vividly described and the loss of mothers for the wolf cub and polar bear cub are dangerous situations in which readers will feel an immediate compassion. Kate Banks repeats key phrases and dialogue creating a storytelling rhythm linking the two children and their adopted protectors together.  This is the beauty of this tale; the universe, Mother Nature, supplying a balance.  Here are several passages.

The pup was shy and frightened.
"Aren't you going to eat me?" he asked.
"Polar bears eat wolves."

"Not this one," said the polar bear, shaking her head.
"Climb on my back, and I will take you to my den."


When you look at the front, right, of the unfolded, matching dust jacket and book case, the gentleness of the polar bear female wrapping her body protectively about the wolf cub envelopes you.  The simplicity of this scene is intrinsically powerful. The sky and wintry landscape continues over the spine to the back on the left.  These words are in the sky:

"I am not your mother," said the polar bear,
"but I can cuddle you and keep you safe."

The scene spans to the edges of both flaps.

On the opening endpapers heads lifted and howling to the snowy sky is a pack of five Arctic wolves.  The predominant color is green.  A family of polar bears on a blue and snowy background strides into the snow on the closing endpapers.  The verso and title pages are a soft black.  Blue and white evergreen trees span from side to side.  The text is in white.  This is a stunning presentation.

Naoko Stoop rendered these breathtaking visuals using acrylic paint, ink, pencils, and pastels on plywood, and digitally finished them.  Each page turn reveals a double-page picture, a grouping of smaller illustrations or single-page images.  They enhance the poetic pacing.  Emotions are conveyed in the perspectives employed.

One of my many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  A large frame of white with a blue wash fashions a loose oval border around a small picture.  A blue-green sky blends into a tan and white ground.  Upon this walks the great mother polar bear leaning down to the small gray wolf cub.  It is the ultimate visual of maternal affection.


Author Kate Banks and illustrator Naoko Stoop have given children's literature a luminous look at how creatures protect one another when given the opportunity in the right conditions.  Pup and Bear is memorable and moving.  I highly recommend this title for all collections, professional and personal.

To learn more about Kate Banks and Naoko Stoop and their other work, please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  They both maintain blogs in addition to their websites.  Their Twitter accounts are here and here.  To view interior pages in this title visit the publisher's website.

Listen...

When you close the cover on some books the first time read (and every time thereafter), you sit in stunned silence.  These books have enveloped you in the best kind of emotion.  They are filled with faith, hope and yes...love.  They tell you we are all connected.  Each of our stories is connected to another story.  Some stories, like the stories in these books, cross boundaries and borders in their universality.

These essential, significant stories remind us of stories in our own lives.  They remind us of a fleeting moment when an animal too large to be a coyote moved from the shore of Lake Michigan, out of the brush, and crossed the road in front of you and your dog, of another time when a larger dog charged out of the woods bent on attacking you and your dog but right before your eyes your sweet fifty-pound Labrador pulled back her lips and barred her teeth turning into a wolf and of a long journey to your house after parent-teacher conferences at night during a blinding snowstorm when you pulled alongside a stopped car and a sobbing woman with children begged you to help her get home by following your car tracks.

On Christmas Day 2016 I read a book, a brilliant book, with many points to ponder but first it will, like all great stories, resonate with and awaken memories in anyone who reads it.  This title, Wolf In The Snow (Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan, January 3, 2017), written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell is nearly wordless but the artwork speaks with such depth you can feel its truth and warmth fill you from your head to your toes.  It ties the souls of all beings together.  It asks us to be our best selves.

On the first page after the opening endpapers we are on the outside in the softly falling snow looking inside the window of a home.  A man and a woman are drinking cups of morning coffee as a young girl and her dog exchange affectionate gestures.  In the next two-page image the dog sends his human off to school with three sharp barks.

The snow is still falling as she trudges along.  In the distance a pack of wolves gather, the leader lifting his voice in a howl. We have now reached the verso and title pages.  After school the child all dressed in red heads for home.  The snow is falling more heavily now.  The wolf pack is on the move.

Soon the snow is so thick it's more than difficult to see.  A wolf pup drops back from the pack, unable to keep up with the pace.  Trying to find their way to safety and security the paths of the little girl and the pup merge.  Kindness bridges a gap.  Howls answer a howl.

Placing another first conquers one fear after another.  Then, time stands still in the frozen snowy night.  Fatigue takes its toll.  A link time cannot erase favors a courageous, compassionate heart.

In a conversation with author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast on December 15, 2015 Matthew Cordell shares a single drawing from which this story grew.  It's a testament to his wonderful sense of story, imagination and creativity that this book was born.  The blending of the two worlds, domestic and wild, is flawless and most beautiful.


The opened dust jacket reveals two separate scenes, the little girl in red with the wolf pup and a lone wolf, on the left, atop a hill howling.  The sky and snow carries over the spine to create the effect of oneness between these two images.  The book case is stunning.  On the right and left, framed in white, are five pictures.  They represent the best of two worlds, a possible future.  The opening and closing endpapers are a robin's egg blue.

Rendered in pen and ink with watercolor, Matthew Cordell warmly invites us into the story with his first picture.  His signature style is lively and brimming with emotion.  We get a very real sense of the love shared in this family and between the girl and her dog.  (I love that she waves good-by to her dog as she leaves for school in answer to the dog's barks.)

To introduce the domestic and wild worlds, establishing a contrast as well as a connection, Cordell uses white space and loose circular pictures.  Tension is supplied in moving from two-page illustrations to the circular picture pages.  This also provides pacing.  The placement of the characters and elements present many emotional and pivotal points. (No matter how many times I've read this book, I am near tears more than once.)  The effect created by Cordell's style is identical to being in a real snowstorm or blizzard.  You can almost hear the wind wailing.

One of my many favorite pictures covers two pages edge to edge.  It's a close up of the wolf pack on the move.  Across the top is the pale blue sky filled with snowflakes.  A line of trees divides the sky and the land.  Most of the illustration has a dry, grassy background quickly getting covered with snow.  Four adult wolves move to the left along with the pup.  The leader is very close to the reader on the right.  You can tell how bitter the temperature is by their frosty breaths.  The detail here (in all the pictures) is exquisite.


When Wolf In The Snow written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell is released next week rush as quickly as possible to get a copy for your personal and professional collections.  I will be purchasing multiple copies to give away.  This book is a marvelous, timeless treasure.  Thank you Matthew.  We need books like this more than ever.

To discover more about Matthew Cordell and his other work please visit his website and blog by following the links attached to his name.  Please watch the book trailer which was premiered at Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read.   I think you'll enjoy Matthew's responses to John's sentence starters.  Matthew Cordell chats about this title at School Library Journal: Preview: The Crusty Nibs.  Matthew answers five questions at author James Preller's blog.  Matthew is featured at The Little Crooked Cottage, Miss Marple's Musings, and Andrea Skyberg's website.  Matthew Cordell wrote a post for November Picture Book Month 2016, Why Picture Books Are Important.

5 starred reviews for WOLF IN THE SNOW! Coming SOOOOOON from @FeiwelFriends @MacKidsBooks! January 3! pic.twitter.com/gr1hkNd81v

— Matthew Cordell (@cordellmatthew) December 27, 2016

UPDATE:  Matthew Cordell visits with Julie Danielson at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast to chat about the evolution of this title and some other projects.  On February 12, 2018 Matthew Cordell received the Caldecott Medal for this title.  Here is an article appearing in Publishers Weekly, A Sleepless Night, A Joyous Morning:  Matthew Cordell on Winning the Caldecott. 



Here is Matthew's Caldecott Medal Acceptance speech.

Here is an introductory article by his wife, Julie in The Horn Book.

Matthew writes a blog post after the award ceremony on June 24, 2018. 

Making History Mile After Mile

Given human nature and a set of circumstances, you believe you can predict the outcome.  If you happen to know an individual quite well, you can hopefully expect a more solid resolution.  People, though, can surprise you.

Animals, despite all our research as to their characteristics and habits and like their human counterparts, can deliver totally unexpected behaviors.  Journey: Based on the True Story of OR7 The Most Famous Wolf In The West (Little Bigfoot, an imprint of Sasquatch Books, October 11, 2016) written by Emma Bland Smith with illustrations by Robin James is a fictionalized account of an extraordinary trek by a lone wolf.  Over the course of years, this animal changed the way we look at wolves.  It is ultimately a story of hope.

The wolf took one last look at his mother and father.  This sweet-smelling forest of pines and firs had always been home.

Wolf pups grow and leave their parents to form their own packs from twelve to twenty-two months old.  This wolf was ready to find a mate and form his own pack and he was already different.  He had been tagged with a radio collar so biologists could study his movements.

His trip was noted and reported by newspapers because he seemed to be leaving northern Oregon and heading for California.  A girl in California was very interested. No wolves had lived in her state since 1924 when they had been eliminated.

The wolf would stop in his travel if he heard unusual sounds or smelled the scent of humans.  This wolf did that because a motion-sensor camera had caught his portrait.  Abby excitedly watched it on the news.  He was only thirty-eight miles from the California border.  For weeks Abby tracked his movements with pushpins on a map but she was worried about the danger he faced from people who did not want wolves in their state.

The wolf kept going, searching for a female companion. Needing a pack kept him in motion and vigilant.  Abby kept following his path.  Hope filled her heart one day when she learned of a contest to name the wolf.  Conservationists felt if the wolf was given a name, the attention would protect him.  The wolf would not know of the contest or if it was a success but his defenders would.  They would also know when he found a mate, a place to call home and fathered a litter of pups.


Whether you know the result of OR7's, Journey's, trip or not you sense the underlying threads of tension and hope in this story.  Author Emma Bland Smith researched and gathered her facts as evidenced by this narrative.  It is told in the alternating viewpoints of the wolf and Abby.  Most of the information in the wolf's sections is nonfiction.  Even though Abby is a fictionalized character there are facts woven into her story.  Here are two more passages; one from the wolf and one from Abby.

"He crossed the border!"  Abby could hardly believe it.

For weeks now she had been following the wolf's route on the internet.  The last update said he had been near Crater Lake in Oregon.  Today she'd learned that he had finally made it into California, becoming the first wolf in the state in almost one hundred years! ...


... This was good land.  Wolf country.  But where were the other wolves?

Wolves live better in packs, not alone.  Hunting is more difficult alone.
Sleeping is more dangerous alone.  The wolf had to find a companion 
and soon.


The image of the wolf frozen in position in the wintry woods, looking back is identical on the dust jacket and book case.  The shadows of the trees indicate the weather and time of day.  It's easy to imagine him alone except for the scent or sound which captured his attention. To the left on the dust jacket OR7 is seen crossing through the mountains, a large lake below, rimmed with snowy mountains.  On the book case to the left on the back is another interior image of the wolf's documented future.  Both the opening and closing endpapers, done in hues of blue and white, highlight the wolf looking at us as he walks along a rise.

Robin James's artwork in this book is nearly photographic in detail.  She gives us panoramic and up-close views replete with intricate elements; the wolves' fur which you want to reach out and touch, the bubbles in a cup of coffee, items on the shelf in Abby's room, the sun painting the mountains pink and purple and the desk in Abby's room showing us how she is tracking the wolf.  The illustrations are either double-page or single page.  Opposite the single page pictures, James has placed a smaller item relative to the narrative.  On the single page showing the television report of OR7 captured on camera with someone eating their breakfast in the foreground, you can look to the left and see a part of a tree trunk with a camera adhered to it.  It's interesting that all we see of adults is a portion of their hands.

One of my favorite illustrations is of the wolf howling, seeking a mate. He is close to us on the left; his head lifted skyward with the plains, forest and mountains behind him.  To the right a rolling hill rises to meet the sparse evergreens and mountains in the distance.


Although it is stated this book is a work of fiction, I decided to include it in my Wednesday post because of the author's note, the map of OR7's journey with an explanation, captioned photographs at the end, an inclusive timeline, further reading websites, suggested group discussion and activities and independent activities.  Journey: Based on the True Story of OR7 The Most Famous Wolf In The West written by Emma Bland Smith with illustrations by Robin James inspires us to be better protectors and active in wildlife recovery efforts.  It also promotes additional research.  I spent hours researching after reading this title.  You might find these websites useful The Huffington Post, Wild Wolves: The Old and the New West and Wolf OR7 Expedition. 

To learn more about Emma Bland Smith and Robin James and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  You will really enjoy Emma Bland Smith's About Emma page. Here is an article Emma wrote My Path to Publication. If you wish to view interior images, please follow this link to the publisher's website.  Emma Bland Smith is interviewed at teacher librarian Cynthia Alaniz's blog today, Librarian in Cute Shoes.


To read the other selections of participants in the 2016 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge please visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher.

UPDATE:  A new article about this book appeared in The Huffington Post, November 4, 2016.

Howling At The Moon

It's one of those places where the mere mention of it causes your anticipation to grow every second until your arrival or you dread being any closer than one hundred miles from the location.  These feelings can be based upon personal experiences or the assessments of others.  If you have never been there and no one you know has either, perhaps this place is a perfect fit for you.  It calls to your deepest desires and undisguised actions.

When the opportunity to visit and be a guest presents itself, how can you resist?  Wolf Camp (Schwartz & Wade Books, May 3, 2016) written and illustrated by Andrea Zuill is an adventure on the wild side worth taking.  If you are a dog, it's a dream come true.

My name is Homer.  I am a dog...
...but sometimes I am very wolfish.

Homer continues explaining to the reader about the wolfish heritage all dogs have.  As his human is pouring kibble into his dish at meal time, something falls from the bag.  It's a flyer for Wolf Camp!  

This canine is determined to go, carrying the pamphlet and presenting it over and over again to his people.  Finally they relent, telling him he can make this trip.  Homer is more excited than he ever imagined.  He knows his inner wolf is going to grow and surface.

The two camp counselors, Fang and Grrr greet Homer and two other campers, Pixie and Rex.  Although his two pals are a little frightened by Fang's pep talk, Homer is ecstatic.  Marking, howling, tracking and hunting are the daily order of business.  Homer's first letter home clearly states the differences between the norm and this living in the wilderness.

As time passes the trio acquires new talents until their efforts are rewarded.  A call echoes off the mountains and through the trees as the bus pulls away returning the friends to their humans.  At home Homer realizes some things never change.


Telling this tale from Homer's point of view is a warm welcome for readers to join directly in the fun.  When Andrea Zuill adds the dialogue of the humans and wolves and thoughts of the dogs, the energy in the story, already high, gets even better.  These asides to the main narrative elevate the comedy of each situation, too.  Here is a sample passage.

The big moment was here.  It was time to hunt!

Hey guys! Wait up!
Yikes!
We're going to eat that?

Grrr!
Snarl!
Growl!


On the matching dust jacket and book case Homer and Fang are starring at each other intently.  We aren't quite sure what they are thinking but we want to understand.  We want to know what Wolf Camp really is.  On the back, to the left, the flyer which falls from Homer's food is enlarged for readers.  The opening and closing endpapers are different in color; the first is a deep grass green and the second is a rich blue-green hue.  The title page features the Wolf Camp sign with a grinning Homer sitting off to the right.

Andrea Zuill makes marvelous use of white space placing her images, varying in size, on this canvas.  Many of her pictures share a single page horizontally.  For visual impact and to intensify the story her illustrations may span two pages or a single page edge to edge.  The expressions on the characters faces will have you laughing out loud at the absolute hilarity.  The added details, Mr. Moose, the computations on the blackboard, the dogs sniffing each other, the smashed bug, and the heating pad on Homer's bed elevate the comedy.

One of my favorite pictures is contained on two pages.  On the left Fang is issuing his rules and recommendations.  They spread out in a gigantic speech balloon becoming the background for the right half of the left page and the entire right side.  Rex and Pixie are looking a tad bit frightened but Homer is ready for the challenges.  The trio occupies the center on the right.  The rules are totally funny.  Here is how the last line reads.

And, finally, never trust a squirrel.  They can be very


Pure perfection for story hours with a camp, dog or wolf theme, Wolf Camp written and illustrated by Andrea Zuill will have readers and listeners hugging their sides in laughter.  It's one of those stories where the experience exceeds expectations...even beyond a return home.  You will want to read this one with multiple voices.

By following the link attached to Andrea Zuill's name you can access her website, learning more about her and her work.  Andrea Zuill is featured at KidLit411 and on a podcast at Storybook Spotlight.  Check out the Saturday post at Scholastic's Ambassador for School Libraries, John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read. to discover how he highlights this title.  To view interior images follow this link to the publisher's website.

From The Wild

More than one million years ago their ancestors roamed our earth.  It is believed they crossed a land bridge first stepping in North America about 250,000 years later.  Dating back to Chauvet Cave in southern France some 26,000 years ago they left a paw print next to that of a young boy.   More recent evidence would suggest the relationship between them and humans could date back as far as 40,000 years ago.

Dogs are proof wolves and humans developed a close connection but the when, where, and how is still being debated.  In From WOLF to WOOF!: The Story of Dogs (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, April 12, 2016) written and illustrated by Hudson Talbott, a possibility is offered to readers.  Let's open the covers of this book as if we are turning back the hands on the clock of time.

Long, long ago...
before humans and dogs were friends...
in fact, long before there were dogs,
there were...

They lived their lives in packs.  As a member of a pack, their survival was easier.  Whether a wolf ate was never the issue but when they ate depended on their standing in the group.  Following a certain wolf pack was an orphan pup.

He was not being accepted by the leader despite his attempts at being a lookout.  This pup kept a sharp eye out for their enemies, humans.  One night he howled and howled because he spotted a child.

The boy was alone too, looking for food in the garbage left by other humans.  He threw the wolf a bone to quiet his voice.  The pup took it and ran feeling like the luckiest canine alive.

Days after it was consumed the thought of the bone brought the wolf back.  When a second bone was tossed his way he kept it.  During what may have been the first game of fetch, something amazing happened.  From that moment forward a partnership was formed.

Others living on the fringe noticed how successful the boy and his wolf pup were in surviving and surviving well.  The word pack and family became synonymous.  As time moved forward the bond between wolves and humans became stronger as each relied on the other for specific needs.  Some not all wolves evolved into dogs with specific jobs; as varied as the number of breeds and mixes we have today.  Those still in the wild are a reminder of a gift given.


There are some stories written as if we are gathered, sitting in the glow of an evening fire and listening to a tale told.  This is one of them.  Hudson Talbott entertains but also adds pieces of truth to the narrative; the nature of wolves, how dogs' jobs changed as humans changed and their diversity today.  Dialogue in the form of smaller text and thoughts in speech bubbles adds humor and happiness to the story.  Here is a sample passage.

A buddy at last!
Someone to help me find food.
With your nose and my spear,
we'll take on the world!

Great! 
Let's start
with that bone!

They became a great team, hunting and playing
together, and keeping each other warm at night.


The image on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case fits flawlessly with "a picture is worth a thousand words."  Hudson Talbott clearly and cleverly show the progression from wolf to dog.  The spot color of red in the title text and the dog's collar are a bit of design ingenuity.  To the left, on the back, an interior illustration is placed on the same yellow background.  It shows the initial incident of the orphan child throwing a bone to the lone pup.  The shade of blue on the front and in the sky on the back picture covers the opening and closing endpapers.

On the title page a howling wolf is show along with a dog that is seen several more times in the course of the story.  The modern dog offers commentary sure to bring a smile.  Rendered in watercolors, colored pencil, and ink on Arches watercolor paper the visuals reach out to the reader with complete charm engaging them in the story.

Talbott varies his picture sizes; two-page spreads, images crossing the gutter along with circular insets and a column, single pages or a series of smaller pictures grouped to show a sequence of time.  More than once he places circular, oval or arched images on a white background with elements crossing the frame to create more animation.  You get the sense that at any moment one of these illustrations could come to life.  There is a pleasing blend of soft texture and detailed lines in all his pictures in this book.

One of my favorite pictures covers two pages.  It is the defining instance between the pup and the boy.  The wolf covers most of the two pages, lying down, head on paws and with eyes closed.  Only a portion of the child's body is shown.  The background goes, left to right, from pale yellow to white.  I wish I could frame this picture.


From WOLF to WOOF!: The Story of Dogs written and illustrated by Hudson Talbott will certainly be read by dog lovers over and over again BUT it is a tale everyone will enjoy reading and hearing.  It's simply great storytelling.  I think you are going to need more than one copy.  I could even see using portions of this for readers' theater.  At the end of the book Hudson Talbott includes an author's note, additional resources for children and adults as well as websites devoted to the preservation of wolves and other endangered animals.

To learn more about Hudson Talbott and his valued work please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  At the publisher's website you can view a few more images.   There is also a feature at NPR Books, How Dogs Evolved Into Our 'Best Friends' The two links in the introduction of this post will give you more insights.

UPDATE:  Apri, 27, 2016 Hudson Talbott is featured in a wonderful Q & A at Brightly.
UPDATE:  October 17, 2016 Hudson Talbott is interviewed by author James Preller in a five question conversation. 

Look At The Size Of That Rabbit!

No matter how much we pleaded and presented our case for having a dog, my parents stood firm in their resolve.  My dad, the oldest of four brothers, was the only one to ever have any children.  Perhaps my Uncle Don took pity on my sister and I or maybe he was trying to pull a prank on my dad but one Easter, a pure black and a white rabbit with black spots appeared as if left but the famous Bunny himself.  Midnight and Sniffer were immediately welcomed into the family.

Good sport and genius designer that he was, Dad built a great house for our two new furry friends including an enclosed open air porch in the front and cozy hutches in the back.  We had harnesses and leashes for walking them.  As far as we were concerned they were our "dogs".

When you want something more than anything else, sometimes you see what you want to see.  Your belief defies common sense or the very laws of nature.  Wolfie The Bunny (Little, Brown and Company, February 17, 2015) written by Ame Dyckman with illustrations by Zachariah OHora is full of one surprise after another.

The Bunny family came home to find a bundle outside their door.

Lo and behold when Mama, Papa and Dot take a look they discover a baby wolf.  Thrilled could not even begin to describe the glee the parents feel.  Dot, on the other hand, is sure the family is doomed to be an entree.

Dot does not dare sleep a wink at night.  She is like a voice crying in the wilderness, a voice of reason, amid all the picture taking and praise making of her mom and dad.  Her friends can see the problem but her parents are blind to reality.

Wolfie does hear Dot and her friends.  To her distinct displeasure Wolfie decides to become Dot's new best friend, shadowing her everywhere.  Wolfie does not stay little for long.  Everything is growing on this Canis Lupus including his appetite.

The Bunny family cupboard, like Mother's Hubbard's, is completely bare; there is not a carrot in sight.  Bag in hand Dot leaves for the market but to her disgust Wolfie wants to help.  Ever ready to fight for her life, Dot's suspicions are confirmed when at the market Wolfie's mouth opens wide.

A massive bear makes his presence and purpose known.  It's time for some bunny-tastic action.  A bunny does what a bunny needs to do.


The first thing you notice about the text of this title is the pure flawless pacing designed by author Ame Dyckman.  The play of dialogue between Mama and Papa and Dot will have you howling with laughter no matter how many times you read it.  The added sentences in the voice of an unseen narrator elevate the humor even higher.

Dyckman has us all following with the back and forth cadence between Dot and her parents, only to throw in a couple of twists near the end.  A bear can do this to a plot.  A bear can change everything; everything for the better.  Here is a sample passage.

Mama served carrots for breakfast.
"He likes them!" said Mama.
"He's a good eater!" said Papa.
"Speaking of eating," said Dot, 
"HE'S GOING TO EAT US ALL UP!"

But Mama and Papa were too busy taking pictures to listen.


We've all seen wolves dressed up in sheep's clothing in children's literature again and again but rarely, if ever, have we seen one dressed to the nines in a pink bunny suit grasping a carrot in his paw.  On the back of the matching dust jacket and book case are three snapshots of Wolfie taken from interior illustrations.  (The book case back is different but my lips are sealed.) The spine has tiny face pictures of Wolfie and Dot along with a trio of teeny carrots.  Already the attention to detail by Zachariah OHora is notable.

The opening and closing endpapers done in the same pink as the suit provide a background for the faces of Mama, Papa, and Dot in a pattern with a bunch of carrots framing their faces on the bottom of each.  A single portrait of Wolfie can be found in the mix.  On the verso we see Dot in her red hooded jacket, arms on her hips, looking with a no-nonsense glare at Wolfie in the basket beneath the title on the opposite page.

Most of the illustrations rendered in

acrylic on 90-pound acid-free Stonehenge paper

span two pages.  OHora extends the text with his size shifts and perspectives, zooming in on the characters to add emotional impact.  His use of white space in several images is fantastic as is the limited color palette.  The heavier black lines, a signature style, especially for the fur works to marvelous effect.  Readers will delight in the details; the cameras used by Mama and Papa, the carrot on Wolfie's bib as he sits in his high chair, Mama knitting the bunny suit, or the design on the bear's T-shirt and the items in his shopping basket.

One of my absolute favorite illustrations is the first night Wolfie and Dot sleep together.  It's a close-up of their faces with the covers pulled up around their necks.  Dot is wide awake wearing a head lamp, shining it at a blissfully asleep Wolfie.  The shadow cast by her light shows a grinning wolf behind Wolfie.  In this picture the only colors are black white, gray, golden brown and a spot of red on the lamp band.


Wolfie The Bunny written by Ame Dyckman with illustrations by Zachariah OHora is going to be one of 2015 best books.  The mix of writing and pictures invite, no insist, this book be read aloud.  For even more fun, if that's possible, try it as a reader's theater.  I've read this book over and over.  Every single time I continue to laugh especially at one phrase by Dot before they head to the market.  The look on her face with those words will have listeners rolling on the floor in fits of giggles.  Both Ame Dyckman and Zachariah OHora have notes at the book's end which you should read.  I'm off to stock up on carrots.

To discover more about Ame Dyckman and Zachariah OHora please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Zachariah has several proposed dust jackets shown on his blog at Tumblr.  Zachariah is interviewed at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast by author and blogger Julie Danielson and at The Little Crooked Cottage.  

When I communicated with Ame recently she said she had a sort of fuzzy without glasses image of Wolfie following her around as she wrote this book but when she saw Zach's early sketches he appeared crystal clear, perfectly perfect.  Zach was gracious enough to send me three sketches showing the evolution of Wolfie.  What's not to love about this guy?

Update:  Ame Dyckman and Zachariah Ohora are guests at KidLit TV twice.  Follow this link to view videos about this book.  January 15, 2016

He's Big, He's Bad and He's Back...Again!

Some villains simply can't take a hint.  Faced with defeat they retreat only to come back for more.  They cave to their cravings; especially if it involves meat.  One could say they never really learn; or do they?

Such is the case with the wily wolf that faced the proficient porkers in The Three Ninja Pigs (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., September 27, 2012).  Giving credit where credit is due, he is crafty enough to realize he needs to sharpen his combative skills along with his teeth.  Author Corey Rosen Schwartz and illustrator Dan Santat have returned in a collaboration of fractured fairy tale frenzy titled Ninja Red Riding Hood (G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), July 10, 2014).  Hold on to your gi.  This Red of the Riding Hood will have you shouting whoopee!

Once upon a Ninja-filled time,
a wolf couldn't catch any prey.
He kept getting licked
by the dinner he picked
and was growing more ticked by the day.

What's a hungry carnivore to do?  Disguise himself and enroll in a martial arts school.  Practicing to perfection, his plan is complete.  Into the darkened woods he goes, hoping for something good to eat.

Along comes Little Red on her way to Grandmother's house.  He leads her astray with a promise...the louse.  Sneaking to Gran's he's surprised to discover the old lady is gone; he quickly goes undercover.  Suspicious at seeing her dear relative looking odd, Hood asks familiar questions giving the original tale a nod.

Just as the beast is springing for his first bite, Red Riding takes a stance ready to fight.  It seems the brute has been a fool; of course she went to Ninja school too!  When it looks as if the conflict will never conclude, in walks Grandmother in a bit of a mood.  Who wins on this day?  I'll never say but out of this duel comes a new rule.  It's vegetables all the way.


How can you not begin the think in rhyme when reading the rhythmic words of Corey Rosen Schwartz?  This writer scores a splendid symmetry between her use of language and weaving a narrative stuffed with suspense and surprise.  The verbal exchanges between Red Riding Hood, the wolf and Grandmother are feisty, fresh and just plain fun.  Here is a sample passage.

"And those biceps! My gosh, they look massive.
And your triceps and delts are immense."
"The better for hugging,"
her grandma said, shrugging.
"Dear Red, that's just plain common sense."


One look at the colorful dust jacket and book case, a determined Red Riding Hood ready to execute her ninja moves with the conniving creature lurking behind a fan, is a clear call to readers looking for action. Using Sumi brush work on rice paper, completed in Adobe Photoshop, illustrator Dan Santat continues his skillful cleverness on the opening and closing endpapers.  On the first Red Riding Hood is crossing a bridge going right into the forest, golden glows of early morning in the background.  Hues of blue highlight the wolf crossing the same bridge going in the other direction to the left on the final set.

On the verso and title page Red Riding Hood enters the forest, a poster picturing the wolf hanging on a bamboo tree.  Each of the illustrations, whether a full two pages, a single page or pages divided into panels, are bold and lively.  Santat literally brings readers into the action with an enhanced perspective.  It's like a force field surrounding you as you read.  Facial expressions on the wolf, Little Red and Gran tell their own tale accentuating personalities; bringing in the special Santat humor.

Of many favorite illustrations the ones which stand out for me are those depicting the conversation between the wolf and Ninja Red Riding Hood when she questions "grandmother".  He looks so innocent and beguiling in a distinctively wolfish way as her wariness grows.  You can feel the tension growing.

Come one, come all.  Gather near to hear the tale of Ninja Red Riding Hood written by Corey Rosen Schwartz with illustrations by Dan Santat.  It's the best kind of once upon a Ninja-filled time you've read since The Three Ninja Pigs.  Red Riding Hood and company never looked so good.

Please follow the links embedded in the author's and illustrator's names to get to their official websites.  Enjoy the book trailer below.

Three Plus One Equals...Fun?

When it comes to folktales, wolves have generally been portrayed as the bad guys.  It seems they have a huge hunger for little girls in red capes, grandmothers, baby goats and pigs.  They've made appearances in fables and fairy tales throughout time and in cultural variants from countries around the world.

Even when the tales are fractured, the premise is pretty cut and dried.  In The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf (Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., April 30, 2013) written and illustrated by Mark Teague, readers are given a fresh view of the pigs and...the wolf.  Let's head on over to the barnyard.

Once there were three little pigs.  They lived on a farm, as most pigs do, and were happy, as most pigs are.

So far so good but lo and behold, out of the blue, the farmer and wife inform the pigs the farm has been sold.  They are moving to Florida so the pigs need to find another place for themselves and their belongings.  The single most important thing to two of the pigs is food.  After all, they are pigs.

The third pig, however, wants to purchase building supplies. For pig number one, it's straw and a truckload of potato chips.  Sticks and an ample supply of sody-pop, are acquired by the second pig.  It's stacks of bricks for our third porcine pal.  She's going to build something that lasts. (Lucky for her the gentleman at the store gives her a sandwich.)

Lapping in the luxury of their snacks and not their ill-constructed abodes, the first two swing in a hammock, lounge in a mud bath or pork out (so to speak) while watching the third pig work at a steady pace.  When completed the brick home is fit for royalty, gardens and all.

Soon, though, you-know-who comes waltzing into town.  No one want to serve him so much as a crumb of food.  As the story goes, one hungry wolf is on the prowl.

When approaching first the house of straw, then the house of sticks, he is astounded when after a series of huffs and puffs, both blow down.  He didn't know he had it in him.  Because they both leave on their respective scooter and bike, he's still one ravenous carnivore.

The pigs numbering three can't be bothered with his threats of huffing and puffing outside the house of brick; after all their favorite television show is on now.  What do you think happens to a starving wolf who huffs and puffs and huffs and puffs and huffs and puffs with no results?  These three little pigs are not typical.  The wolf is not typical.  And the ending...well, it's safe to say the authors of old would be surprised as readers will be too.


One of the narrative techniques which sets this telling apart is the folksy tone of the conversation.  The blend of the talk between the characters, the voice of the unseen narrator, and the wolf's thoughts spoken aloud couldn't be better.  Mark Teague's sense of humor shines through in his word choice and the rhythm generated in addressing the activities of the three pigs (and the wolf) separately again and again.

Here is a portion of a single passage:

The wolf moved on, hungry but confident.  He came to another house, this one built of sticks.
"Same piggy smell, " he said.  He knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" called the second pig.
"Wolf. Open up, or I'll blow your house down! Trust me," he added, "I've done it before."


There is something about the pigs Mark Teague paints that brings on smiles to all who see them; those robust figures, knowing eyes, big snouts and laughing mouths.  The matching jacket and front cover give no hint as to the ending; quite the opposite.  The back jacket and cover show the trio in front of the barn and silo dribbling a soccer ball.  Patterned across the pale yellow opening and closing endpapers are pig one and two munching and drinking their favorite treats in easy chairs, while pig three is pushing her wheelbarrow.  The wolf, mama duck and ducklings, hen and cat are part of the crew. The bright, bold color palette seen on the cover is continued throughout the title on all the two-page spreads.

Using oils Teague's detail and texture bring the illustrations fully to life; animated features and body postures conveying the mood of each character set among less than normal circumstances.  It's not everyday you see a pig reading in a chair next to a cloth-covered table with a lamp and framed picture on top in the same pig pen with two others wallowing in mud.  There's also a basketball hoop hanging on the wall at pig-high level next to the mud hole.  It's the mix of a human lifestyle with these three pigs that will have readers' sides shaking with laughter.


Written and illustrated with oil paintings by Mark Teague, The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf is a must add to your fractured fairy tale collection.  I've said it before, and I will say it again...any title which makes readers laugh while introducing them to folktales, is the best kind of picture book.  This is certainly a good book to share one on one but aloud, with voices, it's a storytime winner.

I will be adding this title to my Little Pig Variants popplet.  Here is a link to various activities at the Scholastic website.  Follow this link to a series of video interviews of Mark Teague at Reading Rockets.

JoEllen McCarthy has my sincerest thanks for gifting me a copy of this book.  We follow each other on Twitter.  Her handle is @imalwayslearnin